Report of the Effectiveness of Seabird Mitigation Measures Technical Group

Citation
Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (2014) Report of the Effectiveness of Seabird Mitigation Measures Technical Group. CCSBT, Tokyo, Japan
Abstract

This document reports on the outcomes of a workshop of the CCSBT Effectiveness of Seabird Mitigation Measures Technical Group (SMMTG) held in November 2014. The main outcome of the workshop was a scoping paper on Approaches for Measuring and Monitoring the Effectiveness of Seabird Conservation Measures in Southern Bluefin Tuna Longline Fisheries, which is included as Attachment 4 of the SMMTG report. The scoping paper investigates potential methods for monitoring the effectiveness of tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMO) seabird Conservation and Management Measures (CMMs). An initial draft was prepared for the meeting of the SMMTG, and this revised version incorporates discussion and recommendations from that meeting. The paper considers the following four elements of assessment:
 Reviewing the content (i.e. the actual requirements and specifications) of tuna RFMO seabird CMMs
 Reviewing the availability of relevant data reported by tuna RFMO longline fleets
 Reviewing the degree of implementation by vessels/fleets
 Monitoring the level and impacts of bycatch Grey boxes contain the questions that
formed the focus of discussion at the SMMTG meeting.
The meeting agreed on a number of recommendations, which are listed in the grey boxes of the revised scoping paper (Attachment 4 of the report), and in the conclusions of the SMMTG meeting report (Agenda Item 10).